This 30 minute film documents the construction of the
radar defense network above the
Arctic Circle, known as DEW LINE, by the Bell System
and Western Electric Company.
Long Range Search RADAR, note Height Finder to left
Texas Tower
. .
RADAR Picket Ship, USS William M. Wood DD-715
Gap Filler RADAR
.
..
AWACS EC-121
AWACS EC-121-L
..
**
Some of the following text was copied/stolen from www.radomes.org/
Many thanks to George D. Pell, geopell@hevanet.com, for pointing this out
to us. ** AN/FST-2, RADAR Data Processor/Network
System.
The AN/FST-2, Radar Data Processor/Network
System, developed by the Burroughs Corporation, took raw analog radar data,
along with operator overlaid masking (editing), digitized it, and placed
it on voice grade toll telephone lines.
The system was redundant, a
"hot standby," with two independent systems running at the same time, with
the active system transmitting data to the direction center and controlling
the height finder radars.
The PPI (plan position indicators)
for the main sweep. There were two more behind the curtain in the "Blue
Room," which were used for clutter mapping, where they blocked the video
by drawing on the crt with a black grease pencil.
..
SAGE AN/FST-2 System
AN/FST-2 RADAR Data Processor Layout
The AN/FST-2 used about 8000
vacuum tubes in three bays of racks. The system would process the raw radar
data, antenna position information, and IFF data, and send it over voice
grade toll phone lines to the SAGE Direction Center, where it was processed
and displayed by the AN/FSQ-7 main computer.
..
AN/FST-2 RADAR Data Processor Racks
____RADAR Data Overlay
Video Mapper ______B-Scope
..
Communications.
..
Troposcatter
DEW Line RADAR Site
Located above the Arctic Circle at Point Lay, Ak (population
247). Comm. link is by a White Alice Communications
System (WACS), troposcatter installation. (left) This site is designated
a Long Range Radar Station (LRRS). link
SAGE used Troposcatter relay sites like this in Buckingham County,
VA
Note: Tropo reflectors are hardened concrete with infrastructure
several stories underground. Gamma ray detectors mounted to outside structures.
link
AMIS is responsible for sending data on flight plans,
weapons status, weather, and aircraft tracks to the Direction and Combat
Centers over teletype and voice grade telephone circuits.
Similarly, data from the Direction and Combat Centers
is transmitted in digitally coded form over voice grade telephone circuits
to ground-to-air data links to weapons bases, adjacent Direction and Combat
Centers, and to all appreciate command levels.
